Kind Beers Pale Ale

Kind Beers
Brewed at Thomas Creek Brewery
Style: American Pale Ale
Charlotte, North Carolina USA

Bottle back from NC last time I was up there. Now this APA is drastically underwhelming compared to the Molyans Tipperary I had earlier today. Color is good at a clear copper but the head is non existent. Red fruit and honey like aroma. Flavor is caramel malt based with a slight and faint bitter finish. The hop profile is reminiscient of english style hops, grassy, and light. You would think with all that alcohol you would have a much more complex beer but sadly, no, you have an unassuming and relatively forgettable ale.

Bottle from Raleigh WBF. Pours a clear orange with a temporary beige head. Aroma of piney hops, toffee, caramel malt. Taste is very sweet from the caramel malt with the citrus and floral hops creating a taste like orange juice rather than grapefruit. Very strange to see a 7.3% pale ale. Slight metallic finish. Very odd overall but not offensive.

Pours a nice caramel-amber into the glass, with a decent off-white head that diminishes to a thin ring with soapy lace. The nose has lots of caramel and toffee notes. Some nice caramel upfront, a biscuity malt mid-palate, and some nice closing abrupt bitters to finish. Typical APA, but does show some promise in its delivery. The mouthfeel is lively enough, with a full body and just a touch of alcohol to twinge the tongue on the end of the pull. Not a bad offering here, honestly.

Thanks Butters. Pours an off-white head that has some lacing with a clear amber body. Aroma is dark honey and resin hop. flavor is sweet with a bitter, slightly cloying finish.

Bottle. Can’t find any online information at all about this beer. For a "pale ale", I’m surprised by the exceptionally clear copper pour. Scant foam. Nutty-toasty Munich malt aroma, plus gentle grape jam and bubblegum scents. Dark breadcrust and boiled peanut malt flavor is mildly plummy and strongly peppery. Toasty/roasty, almost coffeish aftertaste. Chewy palate. Pale Ale, WTF? This rates among the best traditional bocks I’ve ever tasted.

12 ounce bottle from Bruisin Ales. Cap was a bitch to get off. Pours a reddish copper color with a medium head. Good head retention and lacing. Aroma of leafy hops with a bit of a resiny note. Slightly odd taste... metallic, citrus hops, caramel, toasted malts. Bristly feel. Medium bodied.

The aroma is hoppy with grassy and floral hops with caramel malt and a touch of butterscotch and paper. The appearance is amber with an average head. The flavor is like the aroma with a nice malty butterscotch finish with hop bitterness. The palate is average. Overall not a bad example of the style but it just doesn’t have that it factor to make it good.

Date: February 15, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Brusin Ales, Asheville NC
Appearance: clear copper, sudsy off white head, bits of lace
Aroma: sweet crystal malt aroma, nice light floral and citrus hops
Flavor: sweet malt flavor is well balanced by the floral hops, just the right amount of bitterness to balance the sweetness, bready and caramel character, light peppery hop spicyness
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: *4